Bidding Farewell to the Volkswagen Beetle with the Final Edition 2019
The iconic Volkswagen Beetle, possibly the most recognisable shape in the history of the automobile has come to an end. With production slated to wind down on July 2019, the German automaker has showcased the ‘Final Edition’ of the compact car in the United States.
PowerDrift discuss about the legacy f the vehicle and the final edition and also hope that the future of this iconic car is possibly electric.
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Hinrich J. Woebcken, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America said:
The loss of the Beetle after three generations, over nearly seven decades, will evoke a host of emotions from the Beetle’s many devoted fans. As we move to being a full-line, family-focused automaker in the U.S. and ramp up our electrification strategy with the MEB platform, there are no immediate plans to replace it. But as we have seen with the I.D. BUZZ-which is the modern and practical interpretation of the legendary Bus-I would also say, ‘Never say never.’ We’re excited to kick off a year of celebrating one of the true icons of the automotive world, with a series of events that will culminate in the end of production in Puebla in July 2019.
The iconic car in its Final Edition will be available with both bodystyles, a coupe and a cabriolet and will be available in special body colours to mark the end of the era. The car will also get a set of special wheels, 18-inchers, that will ape the steel wheel and wheelcap look of the original car.
Under the bonnet, the modern Beetle is front engined, unlike its original counterpart. The engine is a 2-litre motor packing 174 bhp of peak power and 250 Nm of peak torque, essentially the same powertrain available in the likes of the Skoda Octavia VRS but with a lower state of tune. The Beetle is based on the Golf platform and is a front wheel drive car. Volkswagen India has also offered the new Beetle in India over the last few years but has had lukewarm response to the Iconic car as compared to say the likes of Mini.